1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an intravaginal device (IVD) and more particularly to such device as means for introducing medicaments into the vagina of a human female.
2. Description of the Prior Art
To facilitate normal function or to assist in the recovery and restoration of tissues and organs that have deteriorated from traumatic or systemic changes, injury or infection, it is sometimes desirable to enhance the tone, health or function of the vagina, cervix and related organs and tissues through biological, chemical and/or physical action. In this connection, it is sometimes desirable to apply lubricants, medicines, topical anesthetics or other desensitizers, antiseptics, conditioners or other medicaments to the vagina.
Accordingly, various techniques have been developed to achieve such ends. For example, skin patches, injections and oral administration have been employed to medicate the targeted tissues. Such methods suffer from a variety of drawbacks including the involvement of entire body systems, the necessity for the frequent engagement of medically trained personnel, inconvenience and the absence of direct physical action on the affected tissues. Many women have found other conventional methods involving topical applications by means of reusable syringes inconvenient and uncomfortable. Such methods also typically require the user to lie down for application and tend to be unsanitary and messy in that the reusable syringe must be cleaned and the medicament and/or its carrier tends to leak from the vagina.
Prior art methods suffer from other disadvantages as well. In particular, it is noted that the walls of the vagina in its normal relaxed state comprise a number of folds of skin. Thus, medicaments applied according to conventional techniques tend to miss areas of the walls. Further, such techniques do not generally provide the maximum benefits that can be obtained by physical action directly on the tissues.
The prior art devices can be considered in three connections. The first of them is the type of device that is essentially contraceptive as represented by U.S. Pat. No. 4,553,965. Such devices consist of a tampon that can be inserted into the vagina and near the cervix and also a separate removable receptacle for liquids of a contraceptive nature that is injected into the tampon prior to its insertion into the vagina. Contraceptive devices obviously differ in several respects from the present case, and they must not be of such a nature to interfere with normal sexual intercourse.
A second type of device is the menstrual tampon that is primarily designed for preventing menstrual flow from escaping from the vagina during menses. These devices typically are not designed to supply medicaments to the vagina. These devices may be squeezed to a small size and expand when inserted thereby to seal off the
Sometimes such devices have some form of medicament present but they are basically inapplicable to the invention of the present application. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,618,605 is a device made of elongated material that is folded up. The device contains no shield and no means of introducing medicaments at the time it is inserted. See also U.S. Pat. No. 3,731,687. U.S. Pat. No. 3,762,413 is basically the same type of device as the previously mentioned ones, save only that it provides means for mechanically expanding it. U.S. Pat. No. 3,791,385 includes a tube for admitting air to the interior of the device when it is desired to remove it.
The third class consists of devices that are actually designed to supply medicaments to the vagina. Such devices are represented by the U.S. Pat. No. 1,401,358 to Peterkin. This device is not supplied with a shield of the type employed in the present invention, and must be inserted by forceps.
The device of Rolfson-Schmidt U.S. Pat. No. 880,469 is similar to that of the foregoing patent but relies upon threadlike material to distribute the medicine. U.S. Pat. No. 1,575,123, to Martocci-Pisculli, requires an outer shell of a soluble material that dissolves after insertion, thereby exposing expansible material. No outer shield remains about this material. Medication may be applied at the top of the shell for application to the cervix, and medication may be applied to the absorbent explansible material within the shell. However, it is not seen how this device could retain a liquid medicament layer against the vaginal walls. Moreover, in that the expansible material is moisture absorbent, it appears that the material would work to absorb or withdraw the medicament from the vaginal walls.
Rannells U.S. Pat. No. 1,355,846 describes a device having a tube running into it through which medicines may be introduced. For obvious reasons, this device requires the service of a physician.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,077,409 to Murray is essentially a catamenial-type device for controlling menstrual flow. It is cited in this group only because it notes that disinfectants and medicaments can be added to the material filling the capsule. The device is obviously different from the present invention as will appear.